The Anime Blog – We Go Beyond Anime!

ADV Films

June 2, 2009

• Mazinkaiser/Shuten Doji Double Pack – 400 min

June 9, 2009

• Lady Death (2009 Edition) – 80 min
• Sin: The Motion Picture (2009 Edition) – 60 min

June 16, 2009

• Diamond Daydreams Complete Collection – 325 min
• Elfen Lied Complete Collection – 325 min

June 23, 2009

• Colorful (2009 Edition) – 120 min
• Petite Princess Yucie Complete Collection – 650 min

June 30, 2009

• Divergence Eve Seraphim Collection – 650 min
• Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok Complete Collection (2009 Edition) – 650 min

AnimeWho

• No releases this month

AN Entertainment

• No releases this month

Bandai Entertainment

June 16, 2009

• Eureka Seven Complete Collection Part 1 (Anime Legends Edition) – 650 min
• Kurokami Part 1 – 200 min
• Sword of the Stranger – Blu-ray – 102 min
• Sword of the Stranger – 102 min

Bandai Visual

BandaiVisual.co.jp

• No releases this month

Bandai Visual USA, Inc.

As of July 1, 2008, Bandai Visual USA was absorbed into Bandai Entertainment. Titles will still be released under the Bandai Visual USA name. Bandai Visual USA titles will still be sold through their own online service (dot-anime.us website). Bandai Visual has recently launched a new label called Honneamise. Looking at their product line, it looks like it will be replacing the Bandai Visual label.

• No releases this month

BuenaVista Home Entertainment Japan (Movies.co.jp)

• No releases this month

Discotek

• No releases this month

FUNimation Entertainment, Ltd.

June 9, 2009

• Aquarion Complete Series Box Set – 630 min
• Jing, King of Bandits: Seventh Heaven – 90 min

June 16, 2009

• Baccano! Vol. #4 – 100 min
• Black Cat Box Set (Viridian Collection) – 575 min
• Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple Season 1 Part 2 – 315 min
• Venus Versus Virus Complete Box Set – 290 min

June 23, 2009

• D.Gray-man Season 1 Part 2 – 325 min
• Darker Than Black Vol. #5 – 100 min
• Moeyo Ken TV Series Complete Collection – 312 min
• Origin: Spirits of the Past Special Edition – Blu-ray – 90 min
• Romeo x Juliet Part 1 – 290 min

June 30, 2009

• Blade of the Phantom Master (Shin Angyo Onshi) – 90 min
• Heroic Age Complete Series Part 2 – 315 min
• Kaze no Stigma Complete Season 1 Part 1 – 288 min
• One Piece Season 2 Part 1 – 320 min

GDH K.K.

• No releases this month

Geneon Entertainment (USA), Inc.

Some good news with select Geneon titles…FUNimation has signed a deal with Geneon Entertainment to manufacture, distribute, and sell some of Geneon’s DVDs in North America.

June 9, 2009

• Law of Ueki Complete Series Box Set – 1125 min

June 23, 2009

• Kyo Kara Maoh! Season 1 Box Set – 975 min

June 23, 2009

• Samurai Champloo Complete Series Box Set – 625 min

Illumitoon.com

Until further notice there will be no more releases from Illumitoon.

ImaginAsian (distributed by Right Stuf!)

• No releases this month

Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

• No releases this month

Manga Entertainment

• No releases this month

Media Blasters

June 16, 2009

• Simoun Complete Collection – 650 min

June 30, 2009

• Ah My Buddha Vol. #3 – 100 min

Nozomi Entertainment

• No releases this month

Right Stuf International, Inc.

• No releases this month

Sentai Filmworks (distributed by ADV Films)

June 30, 2009

• Appleseed – 105 min

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

• No releases this month

Viz Media

June 16, 2009

• Bleach Vol. #17 – 100 min
• Death Note Re-Light Vol. #1 – 130 min

June 23, 2009

• Pokemon Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension DVD Box 1 – 340 min
• Pokemon Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension Vol. #01 – 180 min
• Pokemon Diamond and Pearl: Battle Dimension Vol. #02 – 160 min

Warner Home Video

• No releases this month

I have heard the saying, “you could fill a book with the amount of things I do not know”. In the case of Maria Watches Over Us, they filled a thirteen episode anime season. I did not know that Japan had all-girl Catholic schools. I did not know that Valentine’s Day was such a big deal. And I certainly did not know that I am capable of enjoying a show so clearly not aimed at my demographic.

So buckle up, dearest readers, as we delve into the lace trimmed and flower filled world of Maria Watches Over Us.

Plot Summary

At the Lillian Girls’ Academy, the student’s practice a form of mentorship known as the sœur (better known as sister for those of us who do not speak French) system. A second or third year student will take a freshman under her wing by bestowing her rosary upon the underclassmen. In the case of Yumi Fukuzawa, a series of coincidences leads her to become the petite sœur (little sister) of the imposing and popular Sachiko Ogasawara.

Through this new found relationship, the clumsy Yumi is thrown into the world of the Yamayuri Council, the aristocratic student government that presides over Lillian.

Review

After watching the first disc of Maria, the series wasn’t doing too well with me. The characters seemed vapid, the writing was coarse and stilted, and there was a lack of depth with the characters around Yumi. There were plenty of facts about the characters (“She doesn’t trust men!” or “She is very insecure about herself.”) with very little motivation of explanation as to why the characters had these traits.

But, being the brave little toaster that I am, I forged ahead in the series and my dislike of Maria began to erode. While the characters are not instantly likable as they are in other character driven dramas (Fruits Basket, I am looking at you!), I grew to adore them over time. The plot took a shift away from Yumi being the center of everything to her being an unbiased observer in a world that is familiar yet strikingly alien.

By the last four episodes of the series, I was really involved with the characters and the trials they face. Having never been a teenage girl in a strict (some might say smothering) environment, I had real problems finding any reason to care about their problems at first.

One of the girls doesn’t want to be in a play because she has to dance with a boy? Boo-freakin’-hoo. Get over yourself, lady!

But, as the character became more fleshed out, I found myself caring about such insignificant quandaries because the character that I felt attachment to cared about it. That, my friends, is capable storytelling.

Character Development

In a character drama, the entire piece lives and dies by how much the viewer attaches to the character. Pity, love, even hate: any emotion felt strongly to a fictional being means success on the part of the creator. Perhaps the reason I was slow to like the characters at first was there were just too many of them. In the first episode alone I was introduced to about eight young women who all had the same traits on the surface.

Once each character has their time in the spotlight, it is hard not identify and sympathize with them.My absolute favorite (and I’ll be vague here as to avoid spoilers), consists of two sisters (sœurs, not familial) that have to starkly contrasted personalities. One is very ill, and ends up breaking off her sisterhood with her sœur in an attempt to spur a strengthening of character in her (no longer) sister. The arc plays out over a few episodes and is wildly entertaining and heartwarming to say the least.

Character Design

The artwork put into the characters is proficient, but not completely remarkable. At times I was very impressed with the detail and expressions that the characters were conveying, but oftentimes I felt like I was looking at the same girl with interchangeable hair. I did like how prim and proper Sachiko’s design was as opposed to the clumsy and silly expressions of Yumi.

Animation

There was nothing in the animation that drove me to notice how good it was, but each episode seemed to contain a moment or movement that was awkward enough to break immersion with me. Still, it’s passable enough to not be a detracting quality.

Music

Two words: boiler plate. Music in Maria is completely average in every sense of the word. The orchestral opening and closing themes fit the feel of the show, but it seems to saturate the more tense and dramatic moments of the series. Remember all of you anime music directors: less is more sometimes.

Voice Acting

No English dubs here! Not because they are bad, they simply do not exist. High marks all around, especially for Megumi Toyoguchi in her portrayal of Sei Sato. This actress runs the gamut of emotions, sometimes within the same episode, and lends power to the drama surrounding her character. Bravo. Bravo indeed.

Production

All of the elements detailed above come together wonderfully in the second and third acts of the series to deliver compelling characters and entertaining drama. The best part of the DVD release is the inclusion of an omake bonus, Don’t Tell Mother Maria. These silly little additions are the most entertaining bonuses I have seen in a while. It’s nice to see a production poke a little fun at itself. Honestly, the art style could have been used for the entire series, and I would not have cared one bit.

Conclusion

Slow to start, but strong to finish; Maria Watches Over Us is a series with heart. What the show lacks in glitz and polish, it makes up for in drama and characters. If you’re looking for comedy or heaping amounts of plot devices, look elsewhere. But if it is character studies you seek, sit right down and enjoy your stay at Lillian.

Rating

Maria Watches Over Us gets 3.5 outta 5 Hammies!

Retail Info

• Publisher: RightStuf!
• Retail Price: $49.99
• Number of discs: 3
• Episodes: 13
• Run Time: 325 minutes
• Rating: 13+
• Language: Japanese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Format: Animated, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled

New Titles from Kadokawa Pictures USA Collection on the Number One Online Destination for Anime and Asian Entertainment

Kadokawa Pictures USA continue to stream new titles from the Kadokawa Pictures USA Collection on Crunchyroll with tales of insatiable pursuits of love, mystery, horror and drama. More information can be found at:

These Kadokawa Pictures USA titles are available at 12:00 pm PST today, for FREE, to all fans and members in the U.S., Canada, American Samoa, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Island regions. Continue Reading! »

The anime con season is officially underway! There are a massive amount of anime conventions this month, from Anime Festival Orlando in Florida to Anime Overload in Austin, Texas. Check out our listing below and see if any of them are in your area! Continue Reading! »

The Anime Blog reader and contributor Liz Ohanesian has a great interview with Vic Mignogna (voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist and more) in L.A. Weekly. Here’s an excerpt:

Fullmetal Trekkie: Voice Actor Vic Mignogna to Direct Star Trek: Phase II Episode

You probably wouldn’t recognize the actor as he sits down to eat a burger at Mel’s Diner, but if you watch enough late-night TV, you might recognize Vic Mignogna’s voice from many an English dub anime. The recent LA transplant has voiced characters in over 100 anime and video game titles, including Dragonball Z, Bleach, Code Geass, Shin-chan and Hell Girl. Continue reading at L.A. Weekly

Liz Ohanesian is a Los Angeles-based journalist covering music, media and club culture. She is a staff writer for Club World and her work regularly appears in such publications as the L.A. Weekly, Razorcake and Outburn. She has written for such publications as Punk Planet, PopMatters, Santa Monica Mirror and others.

Legendary Seiyuu Toshiyuki Morikawa to Attend Nation’s Largest Anime and Manga Convention

Anime Expo 2009 will be the place to be this fourth of July weekend as legendary and world re-known Japanese voice actor (seiyuu) of Anime and video games, Toshiyuki Morikawa, is announced as one of the official Anime Expo 2009 Guest of Honor for the nation’s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Continue Reading! »

Celebrated Talents Imaishi and Nishigori to Attend Nation’s Largest Anime
and Manga Convention

Animation Kobe Director Award winner, Hiroyuki Imaishi and 7th Annual Tokyo International Anime Award recipient, Atsushi Nishigori, are now announced as official Anime Expo 2009 Guests of Honor at the nation’s largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Continue Reading! »

Return to Labyrinth Volume Three (read my review of volumes one and two) is Tokyopop’s number one manga! Here’s their synopsis:

For Toby, as it is for all who enter the Labyrinth, the way forward is sometimes the way back… Through danger untold and hardships unnumbered, Toby has finally arrived at the day of his coronation. But he is still unable to control the Labyrinth, treachery and deceit surround him, and worse yet–it’s become clear that some of his soon-to-be subjects are less than happy about his recent appointment. Toby will have to keep his wits about him and his friends by his side if he’s going to survive his first day as King!

Hopefully I’ll have a review of Return to Labyrinth Volume Three soon!